The popularity of the game of poker in Europe has been rising consistently in the last decade. There are even certain experts and professionals who claim that the state of poker in Europe right now can be equated to the state of poker in the United States of America 10 years ago. What these people are trying to say is that the game of poker is peaking right now in Europe, just like it peaked in the United States only a few years ago. Apart from cross border European poker tournaments and championships, there are also national tournaments and competitions that individual European countries boast of.
As poker is such a popular game in Europe, every major city and country seems to have more than a single casino that offers poker card rooms. Moreover, most large cities on the continent have their own underground clubs and communities, with some clubs even spanning whole countries. Resultantly, any individual interested in a game of poker would find it quite easy to find one in any of the major capitals and many of the tier II cities.
Furthermore, the continent of Europe has a poker game for every individual, irrespective of which variant of the game the person prefers. While all variants are available in most casinos and cities, here is a list of the preferred poker variants of some major countries of the continent.
Popular Variations of Poker in Europe
- France: A country where poker is claimed to have originated as poque prefers stud poker the most.
- Austria: Austria is a small country but, by no means, uninterested in poker. Most Austrians like Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha Hold ‘em variants of poker.
- Germany: Germans are a little different from the rest of the continent as they really appreciate a game of seven card stud poker.
- Ireland: Ireland is a small country with a big appetite for five card draw poker as can be seen if one studies the casinos in Dublin.
- United Kingdom: The United Kingdom, being a cultural melting pot of the continent does not have any favorites, although Texas Hold ‘em comes very close.
This is only a sample picking of all the various poker games that an individual can find in all the different countries of the continent.
Another interesting fact about poker in Europe is that the game is not legally restricted in the majority of countries in Europe. In different words, poker as a game is legal in the majority of the nations in Europe and this even includes the new age avatar of the game i.e. online poker. In fact, in the United Kingdom, unofficially considered to be the capital of European Hold’em, online card games are very popular and definitely flourishing.
As the game is already quite popular on the continent and also growing at a tremendous rate, not surprisingly there are numerous transnational and national poker tournaments catering to poker players from all over the planet. Here is a list of the major ones.
Major European Poker Tournaments
- The European Poker Tour: The European Poker Tour, although sponsored by a popular poker firm, is regarded as the biggest poker tournament on the continent in terms of both the number of players who participate in it and the size of the prize pool that they all vie for. The European Poker Tour was created by John Duthrie and started after the Moneymaker Effect in 2004. The eighth season of the European Poker Tour is currently under way and will be concluded in February of 2012.
- The World Series of Poker Europe: The World Series of Poker Europe only started out in the year of 2007 but has since been gaining ground on the largest poker tournament of the continent mentioned above. Up until the current season, the World Series of Poker Europe had been held in London since its inception. However, the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe is what has made this tournament a European tournament because it is being held in Cannes, France. With more European locations being chosen by the World Series of Poker Europe, it can only be expected to compete with the European Poker Tour for supremacy as the largest poker tournament in the future.
While these two tournaments are the largest transnational poker tournaments of Europe, there are also some national tournaments that are quite popular on the continent with countries like the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany leading the way. Most poker tournaments in Europe are held in the major casinos of various countries. Here is a list of a few of these major casinos of Europe that draw a lot of poker players.
Major European Land Based Casinos
- Casino Barriere de Deauville: Casino Barriere de Deauville is located in Deauville in France and boasts of the style and panache that the French are well known for all over the world. The casino is one of the few casinos on the planet that was constructed from the ground up to be one thing and one thing alone i.e. a casino.
- Casino Copenhagen: The Casino Copenhagen, as the name suggests, is located in the capital of Denmark. The casino that was constructed in 1990 is a class apart and shows the relaxed charm of Denmark. It boasts of more than 20 table games and over 100 slot machines.
- Astoria Palace Club and Casino: The Astoria Palace Club and Casino is the largest poker club in the Baltic country of Estonia. It boasts of all the modern day casino amenities such as an exquisite décor, a bar, a gaming hall and a slot machine hall. It is also worth mentioning that this casino hosts weekly poker tournaments on a regular basis.
- The Sporting D’Hiver: The Sporting D’Hiver is placed in the casino centric town of Monte Carlo which is also seen as the center of luxury in the whole of Europe. The casino is not only a major part of the European poker scene but also the global poker scene because it has hosted the European Poker Tour, the Monte Carlo Millions Tournament and consistently has a private, invite only tournament hosted by the legendary Matt Savage.
- Casino Castell de Peralda: The Casino Castell de Peralda is located in Catalonia of Spain. The most attractive aspect of this casino is that it is located in a 14th century castle and spans 16,500 square feet. It offers around 16 table games and numerous slot machines.
- The Grosvenor Victoria Casino: The Grosvenor Victoria Casino, located in London, is a well known name in the global poker circles. The casino is also a club and membership can be obtained 24 hours before arrival. On a weekly basis, the Grosvenor Victoria Casino holds tournaments for no limit Texas Hold ‘em.
- The Casino Barcelona: The Casino Barcelona is where the European Poker Tour begins with the Barcelona Open. Resultantly, the casino sees a lot of well known and highly acclaimed poker players on a regular basis and specifically before the start of the tour.
As can be seen from the wide array of old school casinos in Europe and their significance even in the modern age, it can be surmised that the game of poker is peaking on the continent especially after the recently imposed legal restrictions on the game in the United States of America.